Beach Nourishment
T.J. Osenni



Is beach nourishment necessary? And what are its effects? I am interested in this topic because I am a surfer, and some effects of beach nourishment can alter waves, and tides.


1. Barber, Don. "Beach Nourishment Basics." Bryn Mawr College n. pag. Web. 25 Oct 2010. <http://www.brynmawr.edu/geology/geomorph/beachnourishmentinfo.html>.

2. Reef rescue . "The US Corp of Army Engineers investigates why an endangered Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle was killed by a dredge during the Juno, Florida beach nourishment project.." Reef Rescue. 06 Feb 2010. Web. 31 Oct 2010.


3.Shuler, Brandon. "How Not to Save a Beach."Featurewell n. pag. Web. 31 Oct 2010. <http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4415>

4.Test of nourishment of the shore by offshore deposition of sand, Long Branch, New Jersey. Washington, D.C.: .S. Beach Erosion Board, 1950. Print.

5. Wilber, D.H., and D.G. Clarket. "Suspended Sediment Concentrations Associated with a Beach Nourishment Project on the Northern Coast of New Jersey.." Allen Press Publishing Services Inc. n. pag. Web. 31 Oct 201


1.This is a scholarly source and it is taken from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. The author of this article is Don Barber, head of the geology department.This source talks about beach nourishment and its basics. It provides information on both sides of beach nourishment. It also examines the advantages and disadvantages of beach nourishment and how to react to a proposal.This is article is saying that there are more reasons and disadvantages to beach nourishment then advantages, making beach nourishment NOT necessary. I really like your point about the process of beach nourishment effecting or harming marine/beach life. I like this because for example beach nourishment can make a beach too steep or compacted for sea turtles to climb up and burry their eggs.What I am thinking after reading you is that beach nourishment has too many disadvantages and it not worth it in the long run.

2. This article is a digital source that was taken from an blog. It is not a scholarly article, but specific information on Sea Turtles is crucial. It provides information on a beach nourishment project that had many flaws. It took place in Juno beach, and the main problem was that there was missing mesh on the turtle exclusion device, allowing turtles to get sucked into the dredge head. Beach nourishment is a big project, and every single factor needs to be taken into consideration multiple times.

3. This is a popular article taken from and online magazine. In no way is this article scholarly, but does have some important information. This article is relevant to my research because it talks about the negative factors of beach nourishment. It provides information on the negative outcomes of beach nourishment in all aspects. I think your're making several main points. Let me see if I've got them straight, First, you say that many nearshore reefs will be ruined. Then, you say It will harm the crabs and surf clams that are important to the survival of surf fishes and shorebirds. And finally, you go on to say that beach nourishment is unnatural and has a negative effect on wave structure which can ruin a surf spot. I really like your point about how the indigenous sands can block sun rays needed for plant photosynthesis. What I'm thinking about now, after reading you, is what is the most efficient alternative to beach nourishment ?

4. This is a scholarly book source. I know this because the corporate author is the Cops of Engineers Washing DC Erosion Board. This source will provide local information on beach nourishment and the effect of offshore deposition of sand. It is relevant because every coast is different, and in order to find accurate information, you need a local source that relates to your exact topic.

5. This scholarly source article is a project on beach nourishment ran by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. In the project they take sample of suspended sediments from the swash, surf, and nearshore zones to measure concentrations. The surf zone is in the middle of the swash and nearshore zone. The swash zone is the part of the shore where breaking waves run directly up the beach (shorebreak). The surf zone is where a surfer would be, and the nearshore zone is well beyond the surf zone. The sand being taken from different zones of the ocean need to have similar concentration to the sediment being replenished. This information will provide strong facts on where to retrieve sediment from because every coast is different. What you really seem to be saying here is beach nourishment is more effective when constructed as naturally as possible. Your ideas about suspended sediment are really interesting because everything needs to be under consideration, and it is the little things like this that can have such a big effect. What I'm thinking about now, after reading you, is how New Jersey has similar concentration levels of sediment that are equal in the surf and the nearhshore zone.